Recycled glass countertops are a colorful way to help the environment.

Remodeling might best be described as a few weeks of chaos that are well worth the stunning results. But even though you are likely to endure dust and clutter during your remodel, that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace some aspects of environmentally friendly planning and construction.

Perhaps the easiest way to go green is through your paint choice. At Style on a Shoestring we prefer the Dunn Edwards brand of paint, which includes options for zero VOC (chemicals). However, also be aware that all of Dunn Edwards paints are labeled “zero toxic.” Many other paint manufacturers still use ethylene glycol, a toxic compound.

A second way to keep the environment in mind as you remodel is to use recycled materials. For example, many manufacturers offer recycled glass transformed into countertops, vanity tops, bar tops and fireplace surrounds. Reclaimed wood—such as from barns, old mantels or timbers—can become a beautiful feature in your home.

Oftentimes remodels include removal of operable fixtures such as tubs and sinks, and construction materials such as doors, windows, tiles and plumbing. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to donate those items to people who can use them? Well, you can. Habitat for Humanity operates a chain of shops across the country called ReStore that accept donated items for resale. Fortunately we have a ReStore in San Diego, just east of Qualcomm Stadium. For more information, click here.

Finally, I just wanted to mention that being environmentally conscious also means thinking ahead to how we can use fewer resources. Although it is costly, a system such as Crestron offers you automation of all your home’s lighting, heating and air conditioning and audio-visual components. An integrated system such as this allows you to control your energy consumption. Plus you can even operate it from your smartphone – wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a cool (or warm) house with soothing music playing in the background?

A Crestron system allows you to operate your home's heat and air from your smartphone.

Please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help in showing you how to remodel your home in an environmentally friendly way, or with any of your design needs.

If your kids have summers off from school, you probably feel like you want to cover your home’s interior in plastic until fall. Somehow children seem to find what is sticky, dirty and wet no matter where they go for their summertime fun. But there’s no need to panic – here are a few tips to make your home both kid-proof and kid-friendly as you celebrate sunshine and school vacation with your little ones:

• Several paint manufacturers now make washable paint. In just a few hours you can use it to cover the walls where your kids play most. Even more fun is chalkboard paint, which is actually meant for kids (and parents!) to write on. Ask your favorite paint or home improvement store to point you to these helpful paints.

Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint

• Colorful plastic dishware is practical for summer meals, whether inside or out. Pottery Barn’s new Kerala line (potterybarn.com) is made from sturdy melamine in a vibrant Indian motif. It’s shatterproof, dishwasher-safe and affordable at $26 for four large dinner plates.

Pottery Barn’s Kerala dinnerware

• Lighten up your kids’ bedrooms by removing and storing heavier bedding and blankets. The Land of Nod (landofnod.com) has duvet covers with matching sheets in cool gingham, dots and stripes patterns that will let you freshen the kids’ rooms without blowing your budget.

Gingham bedding set from The Land of Nod

Dots sheet set from The Land of Nod

• Protect your floors and patio surfaces with indoor/outdoor rugs. Outside, a rug provides a cozy play place. Inside, the easily cleanable rug offers your eat-in kitchen a punch of color.

Rugs from Macy's

• Instead of putting covers on your furniture – which can look sloppy – clean and then treat it with a stain guard. Give Chris Grant at Fibercare a call to service your sofas, chairs, dining chairs, carpets or other surfaces: (800) 939-2101.

Have a great summer, and please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help with any of your home design needs.

Touch Up Paint

Proper touch-up of latex coatings is directly associated to several key factors. Some of the more prominent factors are listed below:

1. Sufficient sealing of substrate – Primer/Sealers offer better subsequent topcoat and touch-up properties through proper sealing of varying porosities of sheetrock paper, joint compound and wood trim.
2. Topcoat uniformity – After sealing with the proper primer, the topcoat needs to be uniform, without holidays, at proper mil thickness. If varying sheen areas are present or the sheetrock can be seen through the topcoat then insufficient sealing has occurred and touch-up will essentially become a second coat, often resulting in the “true” color.
3. Sheen or gloss of topcoat – Flats will touch-up better than higher sheen or gloss paints.
4. Temperatures of painting environment, paint, and curing environment – Most latex coatings require temperatures above 50°F to properly form a film. Lower temperatures will result in “lighter” touch-up and “cut-in” areas.
5. Size of touch-up – Area of touch-up should not approach large enough area to constitute complete recoat. Often, recoat should be considered opposed to huge areas or multiple splotches on a wall. Touch-ups should be small areas of blemished paint – not complete wall areas.
6. Proper procedure – Ideally, touch-up will look best when same batch of paint is used as topcoat. A “trim roller” when lightly dry-rolled over the blemished area has proven best in our testing. Brushed touch-ups do not normally yield as positive results. A heavy coat of touch-up will usually prove inadequate resulting in a build-up of the coating.
7. Coating touch-up capability – Different coatings yield different touch-up capabilities. Usually, the lesser expensive coatings do not touch-up as well as the higher end products, due to the overall balance of components. 
8.    

The best colors will highlight the most beautiful features of your home. Skillful use of color can even disguise design flaws, boosting the curb appeal and market value of your home. How do you find that magic color combination? Follow these tips.

1. Honor History
If you’re planning to paint an older home, you’ll probably want to use a historically accurate color scheme. You can hire a pro to analyze old paint chips and recreate the original color. Or, you can refer to historic color charts and select shades that might have been used at the time your home was built.

2. Jazz up the Past
In some neighborhoods, homeowners fly in the face of history. Instead of choosing historically accurate colors, they paint their houses modern colors to dramatize architectural details. Using bright colors on old architectural details can produce startling and exciting results. But before you buy 10 gallons of bubblegum pink, it’s a good idea to look at what your neighbors are doing. A fluorescent colored Victorian that looks splendid in San Francisco will seem wildly out of place in more conservative neighborhoods.

3. Consider your Neighbors
The house next door can give you paint color ideas, but don’t copy your neighbor exactly. Choose colors that set your house apart, without clashing with nearby buildings.

4. Borrow from Nature
The landscape around your house is blooming with color ideas. Trees may suggest an earthy palette of greens and browns. A beach setting might suggest vivid blues, turquoises, and coral colors. Even the garden in your front yard can inspire exciting color combinations.

5. Check the Roof
Your house is your canvas, but it is not blank. Some colors are already established. What color is your roof? Your paint color doesn’t need to match the roof, but it should harmonize.

6. Look For Things That Won’t Be Painted
Every home has some features that will not be painted. Does your house have brick walls? Vinyl windows? A natural wooden door? Will steps and railings remain their existing colors? Choose a color scheme that harmonizes with colors already present on your house.

7. Find Inspiration in Your Living Room
It may seem comical to paint entire house based on the pattern of a pillow case, but this approach does make sense. The color of your furnishings will guide you in the selection of your interior paint colors, and your interior paint colors will influence the colors you use outside. Once again, your goal is to harmonize.

8. Focus on Details
Depending on the size and complexity of your home, you may want to choose two, three, or as many as six colors. In addition to color for your siding, select accent colors for shutters, moldings, doors, window sashes, brackets, columns, and porch decks. But beware: too many colors will overwhelm your house. Too few can make your house seem flat and uninteresting.

9. Use Light to Add Size
It’s no wonder large, grand estates are often painted white. Light colors make a building look larger, and white is the favored color for traditional classical architecture. You can add to your home’s sense of size and dignity by using white or a pale cream color.

10. Go Dark For Drama
Dark siding or dark bands of trim will make your house seem smaller, but will draw more attention to details. Darker shades are best for accenting recesses, while lighter tones will highlight details that project from the wall surface. On traditional Victorian homes, the darkest paint is often used for the window sashes.

11. Discover Color Families
Contrasting colors will draw attention to architectural details. But, extreme contrasts will clash and actually detract from details. To be safe, consider staying within a single color family. For some accents, try using a darker or lighter shade instead of a different color.

12. Strike a Balance
A burst of a single color on just one part of your home may give it a lopsided appearance. Strive to balance colors over the entire building.

    

 A door is likely to be the first thing you see when you enter a room, so it should look nice. Painting a door is easier than painting an entire room, but as with any job well done, quality is in the details.

Step 1 — Remove or tape over the doorknob, the strike bolt and the hinges.

Step 2 — Take the door off its hinges and lay it across two sawhorses or a table to paint. (You can paint it as it hangs, but you get a better effect if you take it off its hinges.)

Step 3 — Check for cracks and holes, and fill with putty. For really big problems (like a hole where a security lock once went), fill with an epoxy filler (such as Bondo brand) – the same stuff that’s used on car bodies.

Step 4 — Apply a coat of primer if you’re down to a raw surface. Allow to dry.

Step 5 — Apply one or two coats (depending on how well it covers) of semigloss or glossy paint; they’re the most durable and easiest to clean.

Step 6 — Paint in even strokes with a high-quality brush, perhaps one with a tapered end.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the jambs (the area the door closes into) first, the trim around the door next, and the door itself last.
• If you have a drip of paint that gets too dry to spread, let it dry all the way, then sand it down and paint over it.
• On exterior doors, be sure to paint the top and bottom edges, even though you can’t see them. This will help protect against rot and swelling.
• Don’t use a roller on a door, even if it’s perfectly flat. It’s just not a good look.
• Avoid loading up too much paint on your paintbrush, or it will collect in the door’s details, puddle up and perhaps drip.

          

Adding a new paint color to your home is an easy and inexpensive way to change the look and ambience of your living area. As cooler weather arrives, warm up your space with this fall’s most popular colors. Whether you favor traditional styling or lean more toward contemporary furnishings, fall’s deeper and bolder paint palette can help set the tone for a warm and seasonal home. And best of all, you don’t have to paint the entire room to get the benefit. You can add paint color as an accent to one wall and completely change the mood of your room.

Want to give your kids free rein to decorate their rooms without the wall looking like something from a swiss cheese factory? Now you can with the creation of a new wall covering that is a magnetic primer, which contains non-toxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats of this special primer under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, including posters. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures, either daily or monthly, there won’t be a trail of holes left behind in your newly painted walls. 

Where To Buy:

The sheen or the gloss level of the paint you choose for your room décor has quite an impact on the look of your room. It can be determined according to the function of the room and the aesthetic sense.  There are many different types of paint sheens available to choose from. You should take into consideration how the room will be used when making a decision — especially if the room is to be used primarily by children.  

Paints with flat or matte finish have no shine and thus hide little imperfections in the wall. However, they are not very stain-resistant and can be hard to keep clean. Below is a list of different types of paints that are available.

• Eggshell paints or velvet-finish paints have very slight sheen or gloss level, are soft and impart a warm look to the room and are easier to clean too. They are preferable for most bedroom and living room décor themes.
• Paints with satin or semi-gloss finish can be used to highlight architectural details and focal points of the home and also in kitchens and baths as they are easy to clean.
• Very high gloss or sheen paint are quite reflective and should be normally reserved for doors and trims and to create special effects.

Mother’s Day is coming soon.

Treat your mother to a paint consultation or design plan with Style on a Shoestring! She will be the happiest mother in the world. Everyone could use a little design help here and there. Our team of designers is ready to assist with all design styles. Please contact Style on a Shoestring for more info.

There are so many great muralist and faux finish artists in San Diego. Here are a few that we enjoy. Marcelino is gret at faux finishing any space.

   

Ryn Smith Studios is another great choice. This artist specializes in Murals and Trompe L’Oeil.

If you would like to find out more about these artists contact us at Style on a Shoestring. We would be more than happy to assist you with designing the perfect mural or faux finish for your home.